Dr. Joel Antel president@cda-adc.ca Expanding the Science of Dentistry In our evidence-based profession, new research and technological change transforms what we do in our dental offices. Our dental education provides us with the skills necessary to evaluate scientific and clinical studies, so we can determine what new practices and treatments to embrace in our daily routines. During their additional time in education, dental specialists often spearhead their own research, pushing the boundaries of what we know towards what might be possible. The pace of innovation in research, and therefore in clinical practices, has risen exponentially, which is exciting because it ultimately results in better oral health for patients. It also means that as dentists, we all must continue to evolve, adapt and grow throughout our careers. In this edition of the magazine, we highlight new ideas and research related to oral microbiome transplants in animals (p.16), the association between oral health and chronic disease among seniors (p. 18), using artificial intelligence (AI) in intraoral photographic caries detection (p. 20), and the potential use of nanotechnology in orthodontics (p. 24), among others. These innovations make me think about how my own clinical practice has changed over the years. Early in my career, light cured composite resins and their applications were new; novel products and advancements in this domain arrived in the dental marketplace quickly. As a new dentist, I had faith in my training, and I wanted to make sure that I waited for conclusive evidence before adopting any new techniques too hastily. I didn’t want to be the first dentist to use a novel material, but I also didn’t want to be the last. It was a steep learning curve to determine where to land on this spectrum. I perform many root canals at my practice, and, in the past 15 years, respected thinking about the root canal has evolved. The general mindset has shifted. Originally, the idea was that we cleaned out the whole root canal system using hand filing systems, which was based on my training in dental school. The current idea is that we use our filing systems to access the root canal system so that the irrigation solutions can chemically clean out the root canals. Changing the overall goal of each step of the procedure has influenced what technology we use; rotary instruments, microscopes and cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) radiographs have revolutionized endodontic treatment. Dentistry is more than just a professional practice; it is a science that depends on evidence-based research for its foundation. Research is undertaken at our 10 Canadian dental schools as well as in the industrial and governmental sectors. It’s to the profession’s advantage, like any science, to have a large number of research-trained professors in academia and robust resources to support their efforts. We all benefit from international research, but I’m especially proud of the researched performed here in Canada that reflects our unique population, culture and health care needs. I felt this acutely at the inaugural Canadian Oral Health Summit last June in Halifax, Nova Scotia, which brought together people from academia and the profession who were involved in oral health research. I learned about diverse and impressive Canadian research, new ways of gathering and analyzing data, and opportunities to strengthen our research capacity. I will continue to reflect on the work of our colleagues in research during my daily practise. And I remain excited to see how my skills, and my patients’ health, will evolve in the coming years. From the President 7 Issue 1 | 2025 | CDA at Work
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